Colorado Rockies: 12 notable quotes from the Kris Bryant presser

5) “A lot of (the things mentioned in the fourth quote) goes into it but you have good people (here). (Rockies GM) Bill (Schmidt), (Rockies owner) Dick (Monfort), and (Rockies manager) Buddy (Black), and the players (some of which were there for the presser and Bryant pointed them out). (Pointing to Bud Black) This is a guy I want to play for. This is a guy I respect a lot. Our Zoom call was really awesome and he’s just a baseball guy … This guy right here, I’m really excited for our relationship here.” – Kris Bryant

Again, it was the personal connections that also helped seal the deal for Kris Bryant.

It was connections but also, the city, the challenge, the All-Star game and seeing the home clubhouse, and also, it was the team, which ties in with quote number six.

6) “[The Rockies] are so often overlooked in terms of the players they have here, the pitching staff, the velocities they are running out in the bullpen. I don’t think I’ve had a comfortable at-bat out there facing the Colorado Rockies.” – Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant is a very smart man. That’s one thing that his agent, Scott Boras, mentioned in the presser and Kris Bryant knows the Colorado Rockies well.

To the casual observer, they think it’s the same old Rockies: “You just know they’re going to hit but they never have any pitching.” There’s a reason why they signed Bryant and not a big-name starting pitcher: their starting pitcher staff is very good and their offense was not.

In 2021, the Rockies had one hitter with an OPS+ of 103 or better with at least 200 at-bats. That was C.J. Cron. All five of the Rockies’ primary starting pitchers had an ERA+ of 104 or better. Both say a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of the team.

Bryant said more on the pitching staff in the next quote.